Learning: how do you say???

Jackfruit

Tangerine

Thanks to Helenice and Euclides!

God bless you!

June 23th

“Jesus Anointed at Bethany”

 Pr. Silvana

                                  

Matthew 26.6-13

At Jesus’ time, it was their custom to anoint the heads of guests, as an act of honor.

      

                                                                   

-         Learning with Mary’s attitude (She anointed Jesus pouring out on Him a very expensive perfume of pure nard):

-         * She was not required to do what she did. It was not her obligation. She decided to anoint Jesus spontaneously, willingly, freely. It was HER desire. That’s how we should serve Jesus.

-         * She didn’t use any perfume. It was a very expensive perfume. She spent on Jesus the most valuable, the most precious thing she had. That’s what we should offer Jesus: always our best!

-         * She didn’t care about what others would think of her. She was courageous and took the risk, took the opportunity to honor Jesus. We should never miss the opportunity to honor Jesus, whatever the cost. It doesn’t matter what people will say about us…

-         God’s point of view is different from ours. What we consider wasteful, insignificant, can be valuable at God’s sight.

-         Isaiah 55.8-9:  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

-         Money (price) cannot be the central question, or the most important thing. What matters is the real expression of love – that’s the true worship that pleases God. True love (true worship) never counts the cost.

-         God will always honor those who honor Him.

-         When we do something outstanding to honor God, it’s like a sweet fragrance filling the air… everybody around us will feel it.

-         For our reflection:

-         * What is something beautiful we can do to honor Jesus out of love (not as an obligation, but as an expression of love and honor)? 

Good morning!

June 16th

Do you think God has interest in our feet?

Pr Eduardo Gomes

(Central Methodist Church)
Blog: oxiuaiso.blogspot.com

Why? Why not?

            There are many verses in the book of Proverbs talking about parts of our body. Sometimes the author says something related to our head, heart, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands and feet. 

           Each part of our body means something particular to the way of our life in the spiritual sense. We get wisdom learning those verses. So, concerning to our feet the Bible says:

“Thus, you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous”

Prov. 2:20  

and

“Make level paths for your feet, and take only ways that are firm.

Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” 

Prov. 4: 26, 27

(Make level here means = pondering = meditate ).

We ask,

How are we walking?

Are we demonstrating wisdom in our path? 

What do our feet mean in the spiritual body?

Why God has interest in our feet?

1. Because with the feet, we have relationship with this world. We inherited all customs. We tread on the alleys of this wicked world and our feet became dirty. That was what happened to Moses.  Ex. Moses Ex. 3: 1 – 5. But God said to him:

      “ do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where  you are standing is holy ground,”

2. Because the feet have a deep relationship with our properties = things that belong to us.  Ex. Ruth 4: 1- 8  ( now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption  and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and give it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) v.7  When we take off our sandals in God’s presence we give to Him everything that belongs  to us.

3. Because with our feet, we move to everywhere. We are not like trees or stones stuck. You are in constant movement. Every moment when you come back home you  need to be cleaned,  like Peter in Ex. Jo. 13: 1- 17 “ Jesus answered, “ unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” V. 8  “ Jesus answered, “ A person who has a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of down, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18

Look therefore carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise… Ephesians 5:15

Giovani´s Testimony

"I want to share my testimony.  

Last Sunday, I was going to church. I stopped by the traffic light between Cristiano Machado Avenue and Jacui Street. 

Suddenly a car behind me stopped sharply and hit the  back of my bike. I was thrown around 10 meters forward.

By the grace of God nothing happened to me. The bike´s front and back were destroyed. I only had some scratches.

Interesting that I got up fast and the wheel of the car stopped on top of my head (I was with a helmet). People who were inside the car could not believe how nothing had happened to me. 

The policeman did not believe, because since the car started braking until it reached the rear of my bike was 16 meters.

When people who were inside the car left it, they saw my bible lying on the floor. A woman who was inside the car asked me who was the God I served, for she could not believe what was happening.
A boy who saw the accident happening, asked about the church I used to go. He asked me the church address because he also could not believe.

Well I have much more to tell but the best is that my Jesus, let me here, so I could share my testimony.  Glory to God."

June 9th

                                  

 A briefing of Pr. Silvana´s  preaching

-         The three guys had their names changed by the king, but they didn’t change inside – they continued  faithful to God:

-         Hananiah (God is gracious) = Shadrach (The one who worships the moon);

-         Mishael (There’s no other God like you) = Meshach (Devoted to the goddess of wine);

-         Azariah (God is my helper) = Abednego (Servant of Nego)

-         They obeyed the king until the point that his command did not come against God's principles.

-         Acts 5.29 = “Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!’”

-         They had their faith tested.

-         They passed the test.

-         God was glorified (verses 28-29).

-         They were promoted (verse 30).

-         Daniel 3:16-18  = “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

June 2nd

“Following   Jesus”

Pr. Silvana

To “FOLLOW” means:

-          To go after…

-          To go closely behind, in the same direction…

-          To be guided by…

-          To accept the guidance, command or leadership of…

-          To act in agreement, conformity with…

-          To obey (rules, orders, instructions)…

-          To imitate, to do the same…

-          To do exactly what someone has told you to do…

-         Ask yourself: Am I following Jesus? // Am I a Jesus’  follower?

- There are TWO basic conditions to FOLLOW Jesus:

- Luke 9.23 = “Then Jesus said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me,…

-         1^st) … he must deny himself …

-          Deny = negate, disown, abnegate, refuse, renounce

-          To say “no” to your “ego” (self) – desires, wishes, when they contradict God’s will.

—  Colossians 3.5 = “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”

—  Romans 6.8 = “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.”

—  2^nd) …  take up his cross daily…

—   Cross: gradual, slow death = the nails didn’t kill the person, but caused intense, strong pain; crucifixion was the worst, the most shameful punishment; some of those who were crucified remained hanged on the cross for days before they die (by dehydration, exhaustion, lack of breath); some had their legs broken to accelerate death; some were eaten alive by wild birds and wild animals.

—  Nowadays “cross” means to be totally committed to Jesus to the point of death = to surrender; to deny yourself DAILY; to endure suffering, shame, disgrace; to be willing to die for Jesus’ sake if it’s necessary.